Extraordinary to watch such a great classic. Even more surprising is to realize that in this era the players stood through the entire match - not even a bench to put their towels on. No snacks, no electrolyte drinks, no bouncing the ball a dozen times, no VAR. Wooden rackets, serve & volley - what's not to love!
I remember a match in the World Invitational Tennis Classic in which Arthur Ashe complained to the chair umpire because Stan Smith sat during changeovers.
Dunlop Max Ply. It was around the most-used by the pros. With the wooden Wilson Jack Kramer model. (Kramer.) Laver used the Max Ply to win those majors Grand Slams. Connors and Evert both used the Wilson Kramer in the early years of their pro careers.
No applauds from the crowd on errors and no fist pumping or a yell on every point won, tennis was so much better back then! Edited to add: No 15 ball bounce before serve, just starting right into play.
I loved watching Ilie Nastase play… he was one of the most gifted players ever… no one had his court speed back then…. It was pure joy to watch him… I Miss him…!!! What he could do with a simple wood racket…
@@steffanhoffmannyou really have a problem. Why are you comparing the modern tennis with the tennis of the 70s? Tennis just like every other sport has evolved. Why don’t you?
@@deanstockwell2396 let's compare shall we? My evolving to perhaps you. This will take some time. So ☺ 👍 I'm no brexiteer by the way. I'm from Kensington and Chelsea; in London. Dad from Berlin; and mother from France. I left after brexit, a stupid little englander decision. However, I'm grateful for my British education. I don't live in UK 🇬🇧 anymore; I'm in a better climate. I play 🎾 with my friends from Western Europe; and Scandinavia. Sit outside cafes with them, discussing politics, sport bla de bla. They all speak English, most do in that part of the world; for decades. I cycle everywhere, on a fantastic boulevard, beachfrontage infrastructure. I was a British English language consultant, in Kyiv one year; and Odessa three. In Ukraine. (Male dominated society, you'd love it 😂) I left Odessa, ten months before vladolf putler invaded (a hunch) My mother was from Britanny by the way 😂 🇫🇷 My dad from Berlin....me...I'm from Kensington and Chelsea in London originally; but no English in my ancestry; as I researched it 😂 Live in Alanya region 🇹🇷, of the beautiful Med Sea climate nowadays. Coincidentally another male dominated society 320 sunny days a year; and heavenly for an 'Englishman' 😂 Dec averaged 22c and Jan 21c. About 4 days ☔ each month. Feb/Mar not cold either....a little more in fact 23c. Again 4 days ☔ collectively. April was 25c plus and 4 days ☔ May a little hotter at 29c 1 day rain...Coronation 👉 🇬🇧 👑 day. ☺ June no rain and averaged 34c. July off the scale. 🔥 Today is 16th August and it's 44c ☀ 🔥 no rain this month. As you are aware, there's been a heatwave; for almost 8 weeks here. Some days by 4pm; it's been 56c. I'm acclimatised at 37c; but anything hotter and I'm not too keen. I've adapted to this heatwave, and go to the beach at 6am, returning at 10am, before it rises considerably. Even at 6am it's 31c; for the last 4 weeks. Doesn't fall under that at night either. Med Sea is like a jacuzzi 😂 (Aircon controlled means I sleep soundly). Media in 🇬🇧 say 23c is 😂 a "scorcher" I live here because of Brexit. (Another hunch 😂 ) Prices very low for us....cigarettes £1.25 single pack of 20. (I don't smoke, it's a good gauge for prices though) My monthly rent overlooking the Med Sea is 350 euros. All mod cons 7 years old. My electric and water bill last month, combined was £19. That's like late 1960s UK prices. 🤔 (Gas heating unnecessary, haven't got it) You can work out the cost of everything else; just based on what I've written. But it's about two thirds less, of what I'd pay in UK; and Europe. British tourists recently told me that. Fresh produce is the norm, at incredibly low prices, at farmers bazaars. I'm 5 mins walk from here 👍 All year round it's pretty much the same. This video about Nov 2022. My dad worked on the Ford Ghia all models. A German engineer. We lived in Tampa Bay for three years, when I was a junior, before being transferred back to London. Sold my place; because you can't take it 👉 💷 with you. Brits are obsessed about how much their property is worth, live frugally, die; and fail to take advantage of that equity. In UK, I'd had enough of being dictated to; by minority groups. It's much more relaxing; after having left. Finally, the dreary weather in UK DOES affect thinking. Also personal appearance, with most UK people possessing dark circles; under their eyes. (Lack of sunlight) you don't notice it until you leave. Not so where I've been; and am currently. I'm happy, with continuously evolving ☺ 👍 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4V-cGAl6bxM.html
@@deanstockwell2396 They can't comprehend that those talented players would also play much differently with all the modern equipment and training methods.
Thank you for historic 1972 Wimbledon match with Ilie and Jimmy .. rare to see so clearly. It bugs me that Ilie's Wimbledon final matches (1972, 1976) against Stan Smith and Bjorn Borg are gone from RU-vid .. it's like Ilie's been erased. However, he can still be seen beating Bjorn Borg (1975) and John McEnroe (1978) in full matches. He was an amazingly talented player and shot maker. I was lucky to have seen his magic on clay up close and in person ('73).
12:10 This is such an unexpected moment there for modern tennis fans. Not only do they have no bench to sit on, others have already commented about that. But look how they basically hang out together during the change over, shoulder to shoulder basically. I mean that must have led to some funny or potentially tense moments at times. I wonder if they ever chit-chat or trash talk. It would be unimaginable nowadays.
David, your comment is quite accurate. Many who have played at that time along with a few now recognize his natural talent. He is considered to be the most gifted tennis player of all time. Laver, McEnroe and Federer are in the same category. Reiterating, I am speaking of natural talent. It is nice to hear someone recognize this after seeing so much incredible tennis since his (Nastase's) playing days.
@@steffanhoffmannMany players go through a whole career without winning a slam. At least this “peasantic oaf” (whatever that means) left a mark in the history of tennis and has his name in the tennis hall of fame. What are your achievements I wonder other than to belittle those who are not the product of a western society? Just because he wasn’t a “Berg” or a “Smith” doesn’t make him less worthy and those who appreciate this sport would know what I am talking about. And those “gentlemen” you are talking about had their own skeletons. At least Nastase did not end bankrupt and in prison like the gentleman Becker.
Maybe the tours can consider having one tournament where the players have to play with wooden rackets of this kind of the old days... I'll bet it would bring in a lot of new fans due to enabling serve and volley.
Interesting on so many levels. I must have seen at least some of this back in the day, but how you forget. No chairs, no towelling off between points, no 37 bounces before serving. Jack Kramer in the commentary box. Connors' game also not quite there yet; he's serving and volleying on just about every point; just a few years later he'd developed an all-court game. A great watch; thanks for the memories.
Completely agree on the quality! Nastase was already a legend at this point. Connors would have to wait another couple of years before his status was solidified.
Big year for Nasty. He was VERY close to winning this win Wimbledon get 2 sets off Smith in the Championship, and beat Ashe in 5 sets in that years US Open. Won the French the next year, and was world championship not long before Jimbo. Nastase had more talent the he would end up capitalizing on but still achieved much.
Yeah Dunlop like Laver and Mac, then Adidas. The last few years he used the graphite Adidas Lendl used. Like when he played Connors and MAC in Davis Cup in 84 Then he partied in Bucharest with Ashe, Jimbo and MAC. All old friends at that point
Amazing watching Nastase in this match that he didn't win that year and never won Wimbledon. With his style of play he should have won 2 or 3 Wimbledon titles.
@@stefanopgr Terrific shot, just the right amount of pace and spin, landing in a perfect spot on grass. Can't make this up. Instant classic match. See the 1971 quarter at Wimbledon, between Rosewall and Richey? Another long 5 setter for the ages.
Nastase never won Wimbledon but he sure came close in '72, winning a couple sets off of Stan Smith in Stan's only Wimbledon singles win. Nastase was also in the finals against Bjorn Borg in 1976, Borg's 1st of 5 straight Wimbledon wins. Nastase wins the US Open weeks after this 1972 Wimbledon, back when the Open was still played on grass, over Ashe in another long match.
The commentators emphasize that Connors was just 19, but Nastase was only 25 himself. In these early days of broadcasting when people didn't talk so much, you can hear a second set of English-speaking commentators on occasion in the background. To my eyes, I can also see why McEnroe would explode about the incompetence of linesmen 7 years later. In this match, the chair had to overrule the linesman on at least one serve where "chalk flew up"! Kramer also says that Nastase was expected to be the first European in a while to win Wimbledon - this didn't happen. Nastase was similar to the modern era Kyrgios, fantastic talent, but not stable enough to carry though an entire tournament. Two years after this match, in the first tournament in years with all the best players in attendance, Connors would crush Rosewall in the final
Except Nastase did win the French Open and US Open. Admittedly a paltry sum for his talent. Easy to forget that open tennis only arrived a couple of years before this and there was still much of the amateur attitude about. That didn't matter when gentlemen players like Laver and Rosewall were about, but Nastase in particular tore it to shreds, while the increasing amount of money in the sport undermined the culture in different ways. Interestingly, Connors and Nastase were close friends and doubles partners and Connors took a lot of his antics from Nastase.
@@zeddeka I remember just how paltry it was .. the great Rod Laver winning $5000 for a tournament... I was shocked back then. Rod worked to make his million. Finally they came out with a $250 000 'winner take all' Conners - Nastase challenge match in '77 (actually Jimmy Connors was guaranteed $500,000, win or lose, and llie Nastase received $150,000). Ilie lost as there was a serious earthquake in Romania that weekend. It took years to get prize money up there.
Do you mind if I lighten this a bit and put the link back in this space? Great stuff here. Nasty and Mac would have been something to watch if they had overlapped more. As it was the '79 USO was a hoot.
4 OUT OF 5 YEAR END CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES. HIGHEST WINNING PERCENTAGE OF ALL TIME IN THE YEAR END FINALS. #1 IN THE WORLD IN 1973 2 WIMBLEDON FINALS. THE ONE AGAINST STAN SMITH CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST WIMBLEDON FINALS OF ALL TIME. 2 WIMBLEDON MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH ROSIE CASALS, PROTECTING HER RIGHT TO WEAR THE VIRGINIA SLIMS LOGO AT WIMBLEDON 3 MAJOR DOUBLES TITLES 1 FRENCH WITH TIRIAC 1 WIMBLEDON WITH CONNORS 1 US OPEN WITH CONNORS WINNING HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST WORLD #1 PLAYERS INCLUDING CONNORS, LAVER, NEWCOMBE TIED HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST ASHE AND OKKER. 7-10 AGAINST BORG. COACHED BORGS SWEDISH DAVIS CUP TEAM IN THE FINAL ROUND WIN OVER YUGOSLAVIA "KODES" WINNING HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE EXCEPT VILAS AND VITAS MAGNANIMOUS MIXED DOUBLES PARTNER OF DR. RENEE RICHARDS AT THE US OPEN WINNER OF THE WORLD TEAM TENNIS LEAGUE PLAYING WITH CHRISSIE AND VIJAY WITH THE LA STRINGS. NUMBER 6 ALL TIME, TIED WITH FEDERER AT 111, MOST TITLES IN THE OPEN ERA. AND OF COURSE THE US OPEN AND FRENCH TITLES AND FINALIST IN ANOTHER FRENCH LOSING TO KODES PLEASE GRAB A COPY OF THE BUD COLLINS TENNIS ENCYCLOPEDIA PRIOR TO ANY MORE INANE POSTS@@steffanhoffmann
Nastase was a fascinating character and player, but his autobiography is the most boring book I've ever read. Somebody must have told him to miss out all the juicy bits.
@@peterflynn6327 Disagree. Players are much older winning slams and they're athletes, not sportsmen with special diets. Of course technology has played its part too
Cool to see this. You can tell a young Connors hasn't fully found the game that would become his calling card for the next 30 years. These two would go on to become good and life-long friends as two of tennis's early "bad boys" and imps.
I still have yet to see anyone who can make the game look as easy as Nastase did. Maybe Arthur Ashe in 1975 final also vs Conners, but Nastase played like this nearly all the. No wonder he reached world number. Only his temperament stopped him being at the top for longer.
@@steffanhoffmann Actually he dominated in '72 and won bagel sets. Net players serve 3/4 pace on first serve, otherwise you get passed. Ilie sometimes served consecutive aces in a row. He was a great all-court player and an exceptional shot maker. Of course he'd play different today as would others of that era. Serve harder too.
@@jjanderson8235 understood but I've replied elsewhere here. I watched him practice at Wimbledon when I was a kid. He was always angry and unapproachable.
@@steffanhoffmann His weakness, Ion Tiriac said was Ilie had a 'bird in his head', later he had no coach. No plans/ development after '76 .. just played off his talent for fun like a gypsy. Got fat and slowed down after '79. I was filming him and he stopped to make a monkey face at me. Lol.
Something about 70s tennis era amazes me . More personality is visible in every player. Sponsors and rules were there but not influenced them to become machines like modern Ones . A litlle bit of rock and roll era and i love it
He probably started getting pumped when he could consistently hit the ball inside the court. I'm watching the first set but it's amazing to see the shots he misses in this match. Basically he doesn't look like he has the racket control that you take for granted from 1974 onwards.
He did when he was a junior until he started using the T-2000. The T-2000 gave more power than wooden but most players found it hard to control. You needed top notch hand-eye coordination to harness its power unlike later graphite racquets which gave more power and control than wood.
If they only knew the modern game back then they would have crushed their opponents. Connors hit just about every return back at Nastase's instead of hitting it past him. And he tried the lob instead of passing him easily with a little more racket speed, spin, and rotational forces. All Connors would need to do is what he did years later...stay back and pound groundies and pass when the opponent came in. Connors also looked like he was trying to hide and disappear with his head down.
After this match, Nastase would win just one more Wimbledon quarterfinal for the rest of his career. Connors would win 11 Wimbledon quarterfinals after this match.
1978 Nastase beats 6th seed Tanner in the Wimby Quarters. Tanner would go on to lose in the finals to Borg in 1979. Nasty would retire with the highest winning percentage in the year end championships, to date, 88% ; and career head to head dominance over Connors, Newcombe etc., laughing all the way. And, of course, winning the Wimbledon quarters over Charlie Pasarell in 1976. So 2 more quarterfinal wins actually.
@@nastaseis1261 He beat Tanner in the 4th round and actually lost to Tom Okker in 1/4 final in 1978. He indeed won his 1976 1/4 final against Pasarell. One of the biggest disappointments in my life was Nastase losing that 1976 final to Borg - I was so upset!
@@llewvincent7537 Thank you for the correction. I only saw Nastase win one final live, a WCT event in Montego Bay when he came back to beat Peter Fleming when it got very windy. Otherwise RU-vid is the only chance I had to see him in his prime. Some of the shots, especially the backhands he hits in this video are unbelievable, miracles as Dan Maskell says, Okker was his worst nightmare to play. They both have all of the shots. Okker should be in the hall of fame especially since they are considering all of the doubles specialists as candidates now because he could play both at the top level.
Interesting that Connors in his early pro career served and volleyed on both serves, when besides being leftie, his serve was not known for being all that great, nor his volleys. I guess it was the serve and volley era at all cost. Later in his career, he rarely served and volleyed.
Odd to me, to see Connors serving and volleying on both first AND second serves, when he didn't have the biggest serve or best volleys, and when as the years went by, he became basically a aggressive baseliner.....
Pace slow. I spose it's over half a century ago though. I don't think Nastase could play in the modern game. His serve is poor. Connors possibly could, as he was the first power player. Plus Your channel play on Rod Laver. Watch Lavers early days, he had very little competition. Todays players do. He'd struggle.
Here we go😮erm, if they entered tennis at the young age they did in that era they would be trained and coached to meet needed requirements, mentally and physically, try thinkin' outside the box, instead of coming out with these tired boring predictable cliche's, yikes😴🙄
@@dougreed2257 As soon as you said "thinking outside the box" I knew where you were from. American English (which is what we must call it, why? 😂) is a good start; but it won't develop a vocabulary. I use your explanation to me, as a perfect example. Condescending individual, needs a dictionary. Additionally it leads into present day bad habits. Buzz phrases, making no sense, looking like unfinished sentences. For example...I was like, he was like, she was like, they were like. (What were they like?😊) Kinda, sorta, right? Right. Right? Right. Just a lot of nonsense, which has crept into youth culture world-wide. However, up to about the 1980s decade; it was closely aligned. It's possibly because of computer (or perhaps business) language; which at its extreme is horrific. I'll just give 3 examples. 1. "Thinking outside the box" is a USA metaphor, that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. It's used mainly in USA Business English. British people mainly don't like these phrases. Thinking It's brainwashing people. Metaphors are okay, but not just for the sake of it. They would 👉 🇬🇧 use something such as "New Ideas" (perhaps, novel or creative thinking). 2. "Cut to the chase" nonsensical...what was wrong with "get to the conclusion?" 3. "Ball park figure"....what was wrong with "total?" It's cold, just like the business world from which it derives. Since then its 👉 🇬🇧 poetic 🎶 has slowly been destroyed
No competition?to get to the semis you had to beat ashe. Prime newcombe. Smith. Rosewall. Roche. Okker. Nastase. Open era had just started 4 or so ago.
Tennis was so slow and boring back then. Anyone from the top 200 today could have easily beaten these guys all they time. It wasn't until superstars like Sampras and Federer period when tennis became really interesting sport to watch. Today's tennis is astronomical compared to that old stuff.
